Guy Walks Into a Psychiatrist's Office (16 Jan. 2000)

Pussy returns after months in hiding, Chris starts a boiler room stock operation, and Tony's long-lost sister shows up on the doorstep.

Director:

Allen Coulter

Writers:

David Chase (creator), Jason Cahill

Stars:

James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
James Gandolfini	...	Tony Soprano
Lorraine Bracco	...	Dr. Jennifer Melfi
Edie Falco	...	Carmela Soprano
Michael Imperioli	...	Christopher Moltisanti
Dominic Chianese	...	Junior Soprano
Steven Van Zandt	...	Silvio Dante
Tony Sirico	...	Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri
Robert Iler	...	A.J. Soprano
Jamie-Lynn Sigler	...	Meadow Soprano
Drea de Matteo	...	Adriana La Cerva
Aida Turturro	...	Janice Soprano
Lillo Brancato	...	Matt Bevilaqua (as Lillo Brancato Jr.)
Chris Tardio	...	Sean Gismonte
Nancy Marchand	...	Livia Soprano
Vincent Pastore	...	Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero

Storyline

With Uncle Junior still ion jail, Tony has taken over the family. He's surprised when Big Pussy returns from hiding in Puerto Rico, but after some hesitation he is welcomed back into the fold. Tony begins settling accounts elsewhere however. Dr. Melfi is seeing her patients in a dingy motel and wants nothing to do with Tony Soprano. This is bad news for him as he's starting to have blackouts again. Meanwhile, Christopher is operating a boiler room selling cheap or non-existent stocks to unwary investors but some of the men he has working for him lack the finesse you might normally expect. Tony's sister Janice appears out of the blue after many years absence. He's not pleased when he realizes her plans.

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Plot Keywords:

gangster

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 January 2000 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Silvercup Studios - 4222 22nd Street, Long Island City, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brad Grey Television, Chase Films

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Big Pussy tells Tony about his back problem, "this freakin' spondeelilolizthisis". He is actually talking about spondylolisthesis, a forward displacement of a vertebra which usually occurs in the lower back. It is most often a degenerative condition of aging or is inherited. Even a mild case (Grade 1 out of Grades 1 to 4) can be very painful and debilitating.

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Quotes

Tony Soprano: [about Janice] She's lucky she isn't here or I'd be bouncing her fucking head against the wall!

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Connections

References The Godfather: Part III (1990)

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Soundtracks

"It Was A Very Good Year"
Written by Ervin Drake
Performed by Frank Sinatra

User Reviews

Guess who's back...

The first season of HBO's mob masterpiece ended on a really sad note for Tony Soprano: not only was he recovering from a failed attempt on his life, he also found out it was his mother and uncle who authorized the whole thing. Kind of gives a whole new meaning to the term "family values".

Things don't get much better in this Series 2 opener, either: Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) is in jail, Livia (Nancy Marchand) is in the hospital because of an alleged stroke, and Tony's manipulative sister Janice (Aida Turturro) shows up to make him feel guilty for how he is treating their mother. As a result he is so stressed he can't even be happy when Pussy Bompensiero (Vincent Pastore) returns after months of absence. Okay, so the latter was suspected of being a rat, but come on, give him a break: he was just hiding because he felt he wasn't safe anymore and, while he was at it, got his back problem fixed in Puerto Rico. Soon enough, though, he is cleared of all bad thoughts and warmly welcomed back by the whole crew.

This season premiere is spellbinding for two reasons: firstly, it introduces a scene that would become a recurring presence in all other series openers (except Season Six), that of the Sopranos' home driveway where Tony picks up the newspaper wearing nothing but his bathrobe, a wife-beater and a pair of boxers - an iconic image that confirms the fact the Jersey boss is no glorious figure like Vito Corleone; secondly, the terrific Aida Turturro (John's cousin) makes her first appearance on the show in a role so juicy and complex she managed to stay for the remainder of the program's run. But let's not forget Pastore: in a way, it is he who comes to dominate the events of Season Two (why will be obvious from the next episode onwards), and it is remarkable that he manages to turn a potentially ridiculous scene (Pussy turning up in front of Tony in the aforementioned driveway, his hands raised in the air) into a powerful dramatic moment, albeit one with the serial's trademark sick humor.

Salute